Barry – that’s him above on the on the right – set up Barry Walsh Civil Engineering Ltd eight years ago. His work is varied from proper construction stuff like excavation, drainage and general groundworks to sports pitches and golf course construction.

The guy on the left, by the way, is Conor O'Lomasney from the local dealer, ECI JCB Cork.

About six months ago, Barry thought it time to go out and buy a new machine – “to reinvest in our business and give confidence to our clients that we are in it for the long haul” he says.

“We went to all the manufacturers, including Volvo, Cat, JCB, Komatsu, Hyundai and New Holland, to see what they had to offer in the 15-tonne range.

“We felt that this size of machine would complement our company and perhaps open other work areas that we hope to expand into in the future.”

He adds: “We knew from the start exactly what we wanted from our machine, hammer lines and low flow lines (for tilt bucket) were essential – a cost-effective machine to operate and maintain. We also wanted an extended warranty package along with good quality back-up from the dealer.

“I guess from the offset JCB were one of our top choices after previously running a number of their machines without any problems for a number of years.”

The JCB, the Volvo and the Hyundai were put through their paces and the JCB was chosen.

“Better the devil you know,” Barry says. “And we have always found ECI JCB Cork good to deal with.

“We felt the product was best value for money, new state-of-the-art engine with low running costs.”

Barry’s new machines was ordered in groundworks spec with four buckets, vandal guards, three check valves and long undercarriage. “We also requested the built-in camera in the new dash along with railings around the upper structure for safety.”